Olive oil is great for cooking, but the high price of real oil means there are usually a lot of cheaper options on the shelf. It turns out, those options are not all equal, but in an interview on Fresh Air, author Tom Mueller describes how to tell the difference.

If you're going to purchase olive oil, you want to get the real product. Mueller notes that bottles of olive oil can get the Italian flag on them simply by being packed in Italy, but you need to read all of the fine print on the label to figure out if it's real olive oil. He recommends watching out for mixed blends of extra-virgin and lower-grade olive oil, and not trusting an olive oil is real based solely on the country of origin. He also notes that the term "extra light" refers not to the fat content, but to the the fact it's technically more clear and refined than standard olive oil. Extra light typically has almost no flavor or color, so you might want to steer clear of the term if you're looking for a true olive oil experience. Find the full interview with Tom Mueller at NPR below. Photo by Steven Tom.